Lin was correct in his assessment. Throughout the annals of the Shenxia Empire's examinations, a scant few candidates have ever breached the barriers of the second stage. The Kongxin Examination's fifth round, its ultimate test, unfolds across five grueling stages, with the record for the furthest progression standing unchallenged at the third stage for over a century. Speculation abounded among the Jiangning Province's examiners on whether Lin could shatter this longstanding record.
"There's a chance," one examiner mused, intrigued by Lin's unparalleled abilities. "His skills aren't just powerful; they're downright otherworldly."
Suspicions arose that Lin might have unlocked a latent talent, a rarity that could explain his extraordinary prowess. "Awakening a talent at this stage could herald even greater breakthroughs during a second job transfer," another posited, sparking a debate over the rarity and potential of dual talents.
As the examiners digressed into speculation, Lin's score surged in dramatic leaps, each increase a testament to his strategic mastery over the battlefield. Employing his familiar tactic, Lin directed his skeleton warriors to ensnare the attention of the Felin orcs, orchestrating their demise with calculated efficiency.
"To Lin, complexity in strategy matters less than its efficacy," the narrative unfolded. His methodical approach—luring, grouping, then devastating his foes with corpse explosions—had become a dance of death he performed with chilling efficiency.
In mere moments, Lin's orchestration saw the skeletal warriors corralling all visible Felin orcs into a deathly embrace. A command issued, a skill unleashed, and the orc warriors fell like dominoes, their demise punctuated by a cascade of corpse explosions that restored tranquility to the chaos.
Lin's points soared by 20,000 to a staggering 34,605, each monster vanquished in the second stage contributing a hundred points to his tally. The examiners, now accustomed to his meteoric rises, jestingly wished they could elevate the challenge. "Imagine summoning a horde of bosses for him," they mused, the thought alone sparking excitement.
Amidst Lin's unparalleled ascent, Xia Xue, the elemental mage, emerged as the second-fastest monster slayer behind Lin, with her score crossing 7,000 points. Followed closely by Feng Xiu, the Holy Swordsman, whose score hinted at his class's aptitude for crowd control.
Meanwhile, Zuo Mei and Wang Zihao maintained a steadier pace, their focus and direct confrontations keeping them in the running. Despite their slower point accumulation, their determination remained unshaken, each confident in surpassing the 10,000-point threshold necessary for admission into Xia Jing Academy.
As the nationwide examination progressed, trial towers across the Shenxia Empire sprang to life, their battles spaces a proving ground for the empire's brightest minds. In Xiajing City, the spectacle of the trial tower manifesting in the sky signified the ongoing struggle of the empire's future defenders.
However, tranquility was shattered as darkness enveloped the sky, a sinister light streaking towards the trial tower with malevolent intent. "Bold!" a thunderous voice challenged, as a colossal hand materialized in an attempt to intercept the dark force. A sneering retort echoed, "Tsk, tsk, you can't stop it!" followed by the appearance of a demonic visage, heralding an ominous confrontation.
As the battle escalated, a divine eye countered the dark force with a beam of golden light, only for the evil to cleverly divide and infiltrate the trial tower. The demon's taunting laughter was cut short as its form was obliterated, but its ominous parting words left a shadow over the trial tower's inhabitants, "But you little guys in the trial tower... tsk, tsk..."
The abrupt culmination of this sinister encounter left the city in suspense, its people and defenders wary of the darkness that had briefly pierced their sanctuary.